Advice for a newbie!

[ChomeroIV]

Hey guys,

First and foremost, I am new to all of this fitness/body tranformation thing. A friend of mine recommended this website and really, its a gold mine of information. I spent the last few days here reading about a bunch of various thing (dieting, bulking, training plans, etc.) This type of post must be redundant and for that I apologize in advance.

To make along story short:
Few months ago I was not happy with this beer gut I had grown over the years. Woke up one day and I was like what the hell is this? Hopped on the balance and here I was standing at 193 pounds, in all my skinny fat greatness.
Decided it was enough. Started eating lean, running, etc. Lost most of my belly and I am now back at 175. But that triggered something in me. Made me realize I could transform my body to suit what I wanted. And it felt really good doing it.

Always wanted to pack up a bit of muscle and mass, and I feel the timing is good now. But like all new things I start, I am a little lost at first.

One of my main concern is; while I want to bulk up, I don't want this horrid gut back. Any suggestions on how to counterbalance the fact that when I gain weight its usually only in the stomach area?

I am aiming to at least double my arm circumference (standing at little under 1 ft now). BB says I should weight in the 195-ish Do you think its reasonable?

Any other general advices or comment?

Thanks for your helpful insights!

[HunterTheRed]

well, Im a noob too, but I figure I can throw you some advice and bump this at the same time.
First your going to have to find out your maintenance calorie intake. then increase that by 10%
Find a newbie program that looks good for you, like starting strength,stronglifts,ICF or ws4sb
take sometime to read the stickys here

I always like to recommend the documentary "I wanna look like that guy" a quick google search can find it in its entirety

[boo99]

Being a newbie you can build some good mass quite fast then it will taper off in time.

As far as your concerns about gaining fat in the ab area, men tend to gain it there.

Don't be afraid to gain some fat, it's inevitable when bulking but if you bulk slow you can minimize the fat gains. After you built some considerable lean mass, you can cut and lose the fat and preserve the muscle you have built.

Have you chosen a workout program?
The poster above gave some good choices.

[ChomeroIV]

Thanks a lot to you both, I will look this up on google.

[OkieNatural]

Hello Chomero,

Welcome to the fascinating world of muscle building! I started my journey at the age of 15 and now, after 35 years (age 50) I am still as enthusiastic about training as ever. It's a huge part of my life and I can't imagine life without the iron.

I'm a natural bodybuilder but I have learned after doing this for 35 years that you can build an incredible amount of mass without drugs if you adhere to a few simple rules. Here they are:

1. Eat to grow! You can train your butt off but if you're not eating properly, you may as well not train at all. It took me YEARS to learn this. Eat frequent, small meals throughout the day with each meal consisting of atleast 30 grams of protein. Eat clean foods! Try and get atleast of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. So, if you weigh 175 lbs, consume atleast 175 grams of protein each and every day.

2. Train heavy, utilizing the powerlifting and/or compound movements as the basis for your routine. In other words, focus on the squat, bench press, and deadlift, as well as overhead presses, curls, bent over rows, and chins. Try and hit every muscle group twice per week.

3. Get proper rest. This is when your muscles grow. When you are resting, your muscle tissue is repairing itself to be bigger and stronger in order to adapt to the constant tension you are putting it through. The muscular system is a fascinating and complex network. The body learns to adapt to whatever stress you put it through. So keep the training increasingly intense but make sure and rest.

4. Drink lot's of water throughout the day. Muscle tissue is made up largely of water. So it makes since to keep your muscles hydrated.

I wish you great success as you begin your journey.

[ChomeroIV]

Thanks a lot, this will help!!!

[baknforth101]

good luck OP. keep us updated monthly. lift heavy, eat clean. the results at first will be more than enough to keep you motivated. I got you started with a Rep, don't be afraid to hit me back.

[ChomeroIV]

I will, thanks!

I heard this community had almost no trolls, you guys proved it!

Thanks again

[baknforth101]

Not too many real trolls, but tons and tons of immature people. I have found that, generally speaking, if you speak like an adult, help others, ask good questions, use proper grammar, etc... most people will do the same. Give out reps each time you visit. I think each time I visit I use up all my reps within the first page or 2. I have no problem giving + or - for mature content, or the opposite. Of course, they mean nothing, but you might as well, right?